I Pin. I Conquer: Sartorial Thoughts

Hello, friends!

As I'm sure you're all well aware, I am fairly well addicted to Pinterest.
I've always been a collector, ever since I was little. I used to collect all manner of things. I had a rock collection, a shell collection, a stamp collection - you name it, I collected it. The term "pack rat" comes to mind. Since beginning college and moving in and out of residences along the way, I have discarded many "useless" collections in favor of minimizing clutter and volume while on the move. Not to mention I've seen Hoarding: Buried Alive and Hoarders and I really don't want to let my pack rat nature get the best of me... O.o

In addition to collecting items like coins, Pokemon cards, and glass soda bottles, I clipped magazines for their cool photos, ideas, clothing, art, and anything else that tickled my fancy. I had peechee folder upon peechee folder upon binder upon zipper bag full of clippings from newspapers and magazines. It was a little out of hand when I was about 10 to 13 years old.

Just under ten years later...
Enter Pinterest.

It's one of those "DUH" ideas. Once I got into the digital world and the universe that is the interwebs, I had file folder upon file folder of saved pictures from the pages of the internet and also tons of folders and subfolders organizing my various bookmarked sites. It only makes sense to combine the "old school" magazine clipping and bulletin board method with the internet!! What a revelation!!

So... I am a hoarder - - - of digital items.

Let me tell you, it's much easier to manage digital clutter. And it's a lot easier on my wallet and living space. Probably easier on my man too. ;)

That's the back story of me and my attraction to Pinterest. It was only natural for me to move into this sector... and to bring out the tiny little hipster in me, "I totally jumped on the Pinterest bandwagon in the early stages of its popularity." ;)

I have a few Pinterest boards that I am particularly proud of:

• Foodie Love
• So I'm a Word Nerd
• Jenny Ann
• and Sartorial Thoughts.

Of all of my boards, however, Sartorial Thoughts has become my most popular. It's been gaining a lot of followers recently. I'm currently three shy of 250! I know for some of the really popular boards 250 is not that many, but it's exciting to watch it grow! And it's really a fun board. 

I have a really wide and varying interest in apparel. My most commonly worn category of apparel is casual, obviously. For me, casual is Converse or another comfy, usually canvas shoe; jeans; and whatever top I feel like at the time. 

Left image via Poketo.

Right image via Free People.

Image below via Polyvore.

polyvore

Of course, every girl has her form of a sartorial dream (like "I love this but would never actually own this and if I did, I'd rarely wear it because I don't have places to where it to"). I love formal wear, dresses, and skirts - but I am a practical and, frankly, cheap person. I can't justify buying dresses at over $100 a pop when I'll only wear them approximately once a year (and that's for dresses I really like). That and as an engineer, though I work in an office, there's isn't much call for heels and dresses. And in my free time I like to lounge and run around like the tomboy I am. But that doesn't mean I don't dream of dressing up like a lady (who can still kick ass and climb trees because I wear spankeys under dresses when I go out in the day time. haha). This first outfit I'm actually thinking of acquiring within the 2013. I like the look and it's not too far a stretch from my usual e'r'day wear: American Apparel U Neck dress and some Converse. 

Sugarmess Maxi Dress Zooshoo.com

Free People Gianna’s Limited Edition Leather and Lace Gown

And of course, there are accessories, tattoos, and makeup.

As I mentioned in my To Infinity & Beyond post, I have been seriously considering a tattoo. I think I will get one, but I don't want it to be just another errand. I want the choice of when to get it to be special.. So we'll see when that moment rolls around. ;) I also love love love accessories, specifically rings, bracelets, and scarves. So I include these things on my Sartorial Thoughts board, too.

by Fossil

on Etsy by ScarlettJewelry

I really enjoy pinning and it's fun to see others interested in the same things. Finally, I have a way to collect and hoard that won't detriment my nearly OCD need for organization and won't drive my babe up a wall with having to look at magazine clippings and internet print-offs. 

If you like my Sartorial Thoughts board, you should follow it! And better yet, check out the rest of my boards! 

Pin on, my friends! 

:)

Stay excellent, 

- Jenny - 

Food Adventures: Boston Clam Chowder

Hello, friends!

I got a chance to have a nice foodie hoorah in the kitchen this Friday night. It was a lot of fun. I really enjoy cooking and it's a great way for me to unwind. I was craving some clam chowder, specifically a recipe that Kyle and I had made for his parents over his Christmas break. We have made it a couple of times with slightly different brands of ingredients, so I knew exactly what I wanted for this go around.

We discovered this recipe for Emeril's Boston Clam Chowder, which is from his book Emeril's TV Dinners. It's easy to follow and tremendously delicious.

Because of the pace of the cooking of this chowder, I strongly recommend prepping everything before you get cooking. Chop up all the veggies and herbs and chop up the bacon. It's just easier to have it all ready to be added to the pot before you turn on the heat. ;)

As for the clams, we're not real close to the ocean in our neck of the woods, though we do have little neck clams available in our grocery store. However, I was a bit lazy for the prep that is involved for the clams. So instead of buying them whole, in-shell and cleaning and shucking them, I bought canned. I know, I know - not ideal, but! The clams we have found actually give a great end result chowder, despite the fact that we use canned clams. We used Snow's by Bumble Bee Chopped Clams in Clam Juice, the first time we attempted this recipe and it was delicious! We used a different brand the second time (I can't recall the brand); they were whole baby clams in water --- Not good. It resulted in a fishy and oft grainy chowder. No good at all.

So this time around, I went back to Snow's. It's also nice because Snow's also sells clam juice - though you nearly have enough of it after draining the chopped clams from their clam juice.

And I always serve my clam chowder with a delicious sour dough bread. I might even serve it in sour dough bread bowls, if I can find some.

Not only did I make the Boston clam chowder, I made a mocha chip cheesecake and some coconut walnut chip cookie bars for dessert!

The mocha chip cheesecake was super tasty but it wasn't really photogenic so you'll have to use your imagination. ;)

I love cooking and I don't get much of a chance during the work week so I revel in the times I get to on the weekend. Hope that you each have something (or many things, like me) that helps you unwind and enjoy your free time. Everyone deserves a hobby/passion outside of work to make life a little more exciting, and maybe even tasty. ;)

Stay excellent!
- Jenny -

Update: Succulents

Hey-hey!

Do you remember that succulents terrarium that I posted about last year?
Well, it's changed some since then.

Here's what my succulents look like now:

I know it's probably hard to tell, but they got a lot bigger! I'm to blame for this growth, haha. I watered them quite a bit and they did get plant food in their soil, since as a college student in an apartment complex, there wasn't a whole lot of rocks and dirt around. So I used stones and potting soil from the store. I also got them a new pot to give them a little more room. And you may have noticed, I'm missing one of them - the tall one. I decided that three was too many to cram into a pot (with the rate at which mine were growing), so the tall one got the cut. 

I still have the lantern too, and I love it! I love my succulents too - I think they are happier in this adorable pot that I got at a local craft store, on sale. :) And the little drip saucer I actually picked up after the fact at Fred Meyer thinking the purple would be close to the purple in the pot - turns out it's a perfect match! Destiny!

For Christmas, I decorated them with little pom-poms. Adorable! Heehee. They're cute little friends. I enjoy having them around. 

Another fun little plant friend I have is my porchulaca. 

Fun story about it: I actually found it growing in the gravel that I park in, when I am home. I straddled it every time I parked and didn't even know, until one day I noticed a bright red flower...

It was gorgeous! 

I left it there for a few days, being careful not to run it over, now that I knew it was there. 

After a few days, I couldn't take it anymore - I had to get it in a pot to keep! 

So I went back to Fred Meyer and picked up a small, cute, green pot and saucer. Then I went home, lined the bottom with a circle cut from a coffee filter, then some of the gravel from outside, followed by some of that sandy dirt we have in my neck of the woods (semi-arid desert!). Then I gently dug out the porchulaca and placed it in the freshly dug up soil in my pot. Once securely set, I covered the exposed soil with gravel from right where I took the plant. Thought it would feel more at home that way. ;) 

I watered it a little after the transplant, to help it cope with the stress. 

A friend of mine was actually the one that told me what it was. He said it looked a lot like some porchulaca he had in a garden box. I think it looks like it too! I guess I don't know for sure, but it makes sense to me! 

He's a great little guy - they barely need any care. Sparse water and as much sunlight as they can get, being a desert-y plant. But it seems to be doing alright in the sparse sunlight of wintertime, too. 

I love the little guy.

And he's doing well!  

So my porchulaca and succulents sit in my window soaking up what little sun the winter skies have to offer. They seem to be coping pretty well, even with the chill from the glass. :) 

My little green friends. I like plants. :) 

Do you have any lovable and loving pet plants??

Stay excellent!

- Jenny -